Pickled shallot

Quantity

Ingredient

4

french shallots, finely sliced into rounds, then separated with your fingers

100ml

rice vinegar

100g

sugar

Method

For the pickled shallot

Put the shallot in a heatproof bowl and sprinkle with a little sea salt. In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, sugar and 100 ml water to the boil, then pour the liquid over the shallot. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until cool. Leave to pickle for several hours, or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

For the fish

Sprinkle the fish with sea salt and leave to sit for 10 minutes. Pour the vinegar onto a tray. Roll the fillets around in the vinegar, then transfer the fish to a clean container and discard the vinegar. Cover the fish and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

To serve

Slice the fish across the grain, on an angle, to give nice slices. Cut very thin slices off the side of the apple, then cut these into very thin ‘matchsticks’. Drain the pickled shallot well.

Spread the crème fraîche in a circle over a large platter. Arrange the fish slices all around inside the circumference of the crème fraîche. Top with the pickled shallot. Arrange the apple matchsticks all over the fish, at different angles.

Sparingly sprinkle the fennel pollen over the whole dish, if using (it is quite strong). Finish by placing a few tiny fennel tips around the dish.

Note

Dried fennel pollen is available from specialty food stores, but you can also make your own. If you see some wild fennel growing by the side of the road, pick some of its beautiful yellow flowers, dry them in a warm spot, then rub the yellow pollen onto some baking paper and store in an airtight container.